Detox is a buzz word in the nutrition world.

Concerns and fears about scary toxins and chemicals have many health-conscious people shunning solid food altogether in hopes of releasing excess fat and toxic buildup.

Although some nutritionists have argued that there is “no such thing” as a “detox”, I disagree.  A good detox is a great way to get the body in gear, rejuvenate the liver and skin, and help people feel and look great.

But do we really need to do juice only fasts?  Or drink nothing but water and cayenne pepper for 10 days to truly detox?

The answer is no.  There is a healthy AND easily accessible way to detox and if you’ve always wanted to try one, you’ve come to the right place. 

This post covers what a detox is and who can try one.  Part II will cover how to detox safely and efficiently.

Natural Detoxification

We have an organ in the body that naturally does most of our detoxing for us: the liver.  The liver is basically our bodies garbage processing plant.  

Things we eat and take in through the environment go through here as part of the phases of detoxification.  If we don’t need them or can’t use them, they are packaged off to be excreted through our feces, urine, or sometimes stored in fat.

In fact, many of our excess old hormones and many toxins from the environment can become stored in our fat cells.  They don’t bother us too much while we are carrying that extra fat, but once we lose it, we can have issues with difficult symptoms like headaches, acne, and gastrointestinal issues.  This can be confusing for many who are unaware that losing weight doesn’t always make people feel “better”.

The liver often becomes sluggish when we don’t fuel our bodies properly.  Behaviors like drinking alcohol, smoking, eating refined, processed, and deep-fried foods, and consuming too much sugar are all damaging to our livers.

In fact, fatty liver disease and subsequent cirrhosis caused not by alcohol consumption but by poor diet is becoming more and more common in the developed world.

A good detox can help restore liver function, helping it do it’s job of processing toxins so they don’t build up in the body.

So who should detox?

A detox is a good idea for many people in our modern context.  In fact, most people could benefit from starting their health or weight loss journey with a good detox.  You’ll be killing two birds with one stone- removing toxins and losing extra fat!

Here are a few conditions that benefit from a good detox:

• Skin issues like acne, eczema, psoriasis
• Autoimmune issues like rheumatoid arthritis
• Unexplained food sensitivities
• People with migraines/headaches
• Those with slugglish liver functioning, fatty liver
• Anyone who has “overdone” it in the past with alcohol or poor eating behaviors
• Those carrying extra fat due to poor eating or medications
• Joint pain and inflammation
• Cardiovascular issues like high cholesterol
• Fatty liver disease, sluggish kidneys
• Metabolic syndrome, prediabetes, type II diabetes
• Those exposed to environmental toxins
• Anyone who wants to feel better, have more energy, and glow from the inside out!

Detoxing is safe and healthy for most people, but it requires planning and careful thought.  It is best to do a detox while being monitored by a qualified nutritionist so that they can formulate a detox that is right for you.

When you work on a detox plan with me, I also help target the detox to your specific health conditions.  I have access to great doctor-grade supplements and functional testing that can ensure you get the most out of your hard work.

The best part of doing a true detox is that you still get to eat real food.  There’s no need to eat only plants, consume no fat, eat only raw foods, or drink only juice.  Instead you eat delicious, healthy food and a few select supplements that will make you feel great.

Each detox diet I create is carefully formulated for you.  If you’d like to schedule a consultation and start your own detox contact me here.  

Stay tuned for the next post where I explain HOW to do a detox!